1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the removal of contaminants from soil, sand, etc., and more particularly to efficacious apparatus for such purposes.
Materials such as hydrocarbons and other contaminants including hazardous wastes have been found with frightening frequency in large volumes of soil and sand at many diverse locations. This contamination has been caused, in some cases, by inadequate disposal or containment practices and equipment, by accident or even by natural occurrence.
Recognition of the detrimental environmental effects associated with this contamination has resulted in the removal of large volumes of earth from the original site to a new disposal area. In other cases, on site treatment of contaminated soil by heating to decompose hydrocarbon contaminants into harmless products of combustion has been performed.
The problem of disposal or treatment of contaminated soils is a significant problem partly, if not primarily, because of the large volume of such material. Separation of the contaminants from the soil permits ready disposition of the soil which represents the larger volume proportion of the mixture, and facilitates separate disposition of the contaminants. Often the contaminants are hydrocarbons or other materials which can be safely disposed of by pyrolization.